Two Articles Review - Early Childhood Education Article

Two Articles Review - Early Childhood Education - Article Example Having the tests done also helps improve the learning of the child and give accountability by the various stakeholders. Critical analysis The article seeks to provide required information on how to determine school readiness in different children. It features various assessments tests and how they are conducted. Maxwell and Clifford state in the journal of young children on the web, children may or may not be ready for school. Maxwell and Clifford state that a child’s development skills are mostly influenced by families and interaction with other people in the environment (5). Additionally, the authors state that children’s skills can be enhanced once in school if the teacher is well prepared. The authors are also quick to note that despite the numerous advantages gained from conducting readiness assessments, few limitations also exist. Each assessment tool is usually designed for key purposes; hence it is difficult for it to be used for other purposes (Maxwell, and Cli fford 6). The themes outlined by the authors in this article are easily applicable in early childhood education. The information given can be used to determine whether a child requires special attention from an early stage. Application of the Key Theme a) Determines the skills required in teaching: The teacher should embark on lessons that are based on teaching numerical. He or she should have the numbers displayed on classroom walls throughout the week. Each child should be given the chance to learn how to write and read the number in the correct order. The teacher should use colorful blocks to display the numbers. At the end of the week each child can arrange the numbers using the blocks. The ability of children to do this correctly will determine the efficiency of using the method to teach them. b) Determines Motor development: The person conducting the test should select children of a specific age. In this test choose children who want to join elementary school. All children sho uld have the same level of motor development at a certain age. They should be provided with a piece of paper and crayons and should be told to make use of them. At this stage, children should be able to hold the crayon and make scribbles on the piece of paper. c) Promoting social and emotional development: The information in the article can be used to give specific attention to each child in the class. Teachers can have a friendly session with each child. They should explain why they think what they say about themselves. The response of each child should be gauged along the set standards. The teacher can observe the child’s behavior while in class. The teacher or parent can check if they obey what the teacher says and their eagerness to learn. These two tests will also tell a lot about the child’s social and emotional development. Article 2: Beyond Outcomes Summary The pressure on today’s early childhood programs to give positive results has increased. Today, te achers and parents are more aware of the advantages obtained when children attend such programs from an early stage, particularly if they need special care. In these programs, there are curriculums that are obligatory to follow. For the school program to work, teachers should be in a position to know what is in the curriculum and build a learning environment that is engaging for children (Dodge, Heroll1an, Charles, and Maiorca 20). The curriculum is there as a guide for promoting the programs. A

Emergency & Disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Emergency & Disaster - Essay Example Training of the authorities to help in disaster management will make them well prepared to handle the affected population in case of disaster. Authorities taking care of emergency plans should have to liaison with the community. This will ensure that they take their advice when they are informed of imminent danger. Mistrust has been seen to cause fatalities like the case of hurricane Katrina where the residents refuse to vacate after being told to move because of hurricane which was due to occur (Cordasco, 2007) The Hurricane Katrina posed a number of threats to the general population as it caused a lot of destruction to property and infrastructure. The Hurricane Katrina caused massive destruction of property, inclusive of residential homes, schools, hospital, roads, power lines, communication equipment and other property. In order to avert destruction from a disaster like this, vital infrastructure like hospitals and homes should have strong buildings which can survive hurricane. People should also be well informed of procedures to follow in the event that such a disaster occurs, and this will see to it that property and lives are saved. Callaghan, M. W., Rasmussen, S. A., Jamieson, D. J., Ventura, S. J., Farr, S. L., Sutton, P. D., †¦ Posner, S. F. (2007), Health Concerns of Women and Infants in Times of Natural Disasters: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina, Matern Child Health J, 11:307–311 Cordasco, M., Eisenman, P., Deborah C. Glik, C.,Golden, F. & Asch M. (2007) â€Å"They Blew the Levee": Distrust of Authorities Among Hurricane Katrina Evacuees, Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 18(2) ,

Did the board act ethically Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Did the board act ethically - Research Paper Example Patients demand for services of the machines are more than the hospitals capacity. As a result, decision is to be made on the patients that are to be offered services from the facilities. Some hospitals have formed boards consisting of medical personnel and members of their communities to help in deciding on the people to be offered the limited services. Though the medical condition of the patients are taken into consideration, other factors such as personal and social characteristics such as age, job, number of dependants, status of the patient’s job among others are prioritized by the boards whose common aim is to maximize the utility of the limited machinery. The boards should have an ethical decision making process. This would begin by collecting necessary information about the problem followed by definition of the problem, selecting patients for care. All the relevant stakeholders in the case would then be considered before identification of available alternatives. The board would have then weighed the merits and disadvantages of each alternative before making a decision. A suitable ethical decision would however be based on consideration of ethical principles as discussed bellow (Potts and Mandleco, p. 40). One of the ethical principles that are applicable to the case is the principle of autonomy. Autonomy refers to a person’s authority over factors around him. The ethical principle induces the concept that every individual has the power to make decisions on matters affecting him or her (Brunner et al., p. 40). Another ethical principle that is applicable to the case, the doctrine of beneficence, is defined as a person’s responsibility to do good to other members of the society. It is base on actions of individual that are expected not to cause harm to others in the society. Professional fidelity is another principle that is directly applicable

The Profession of Arms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Profession of Arms - Research Paper Example This work employs the ethical processing model to examine the ethical issues facing the modern US military after a decade in persistent wars. In this regard, this paper critically evaluates some three fundamental aspects of the contemporary US military: professionalism, culture, and ethics in the US military. In the analysis, it compares military professionalism with civil professionalism, points out the differences, justify military actions, and points to the direction military professionalism should take. Military culture is also discussed in lengths in addition to being compared with military climate. In evaluating ethics, this paper illustrates possible platforms and avenues of achieving virtues behaviors among individual soldiers in the US military. Finally, this work comes up with a compelling conclusion in which dialogue in light of the discussion presented in this paper is pointed to as solution to ethical issues facing the US military. This paper builds a convincing professi on of arms in the US after a decade in war. INTRODUCTION After close to a decade in war, the performance of soldiers and leaders in the United States Army has continued to be magnificent. While some critical skills have eroded along the way, the US Army is different from what it was in 2001, and continues to be an Army in transition—learning, always seeking to meet the needs of the American People. As a profession—a profession of arms—it is appropriate for the army to examine itself particularly at these times of transition to ensure that that it appreciates and lives up to the principles that define a profession. This can be achieved by understanding three critical ethical issues; what it implies for the army to be a profession of arms; the meaning of an individual being a professional soldier; and an examination of how individual professionals and the army as a profession is working to meet these aspirations after a decade in war (Casey, 2009). THE ARMY AS A P ROFESSION After years of study and practice, the military, like any other profession, should be able to produce uniquely expert work—away from routine or a repetition. In exercise of military professionalism, the military, just like the sick need a cure from the medics, should be able to provide security to the defenseless. In so doing, effectiveness, rather than pure efficacy, should be the defining factor. In this light, one of the ethical issues that face the US military is the continuous development of expertise and the subsequent utilization of that expertise in the best interest of the society only. The security that the American society cannot provide for itself, and without which it cannot survive, the military should provide. In so doing however, the military should employ its expertise only in accordance to the values held by the Nation (Dempsey, 2010). One of the factors that underline the existence of the army is the applications of lethal force. Unlike other prof essions, the weapons and operations of a soldier are lethal, and individual soldiers must be ready to kill and die in response to the needs of a republic. However, the US Army aspect of professionalism has waned over the years, depicting itself more as an occupation than a profession (Casey, 2009). In particular, the US military has gone professional during expansion and later phases of war while it turns ‘occupational’ during contraction and after wars. A good illustration to this aspect is the post-World War 2 in Korea and post-Vietnam. The coming to being of an all-volunteer force in 1971 and the subsequent rebuilding of the Army NCO Corps Post-Vietnam did not end this trend. This was followed by more professionalism during Desert Storm and more of managerial aspects over the next decade. Today, after close to a decade in war, the US army exhibits more traits of a professional outfit as opposed to the institutional side of the army. However, in the contemporary globa l era of persistent conflict, the professional

Learning, Knowledge and Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Learning, Knowledge and Performance - Essay Example The discourse also considers the Kolb learning system and influences of improving the situation at Siemens. Siemens organization did not consider earlier knowledge management, yet it is an economic resource for the company. It is essential for Siemens to recognize that sharing of knowledge is a significant element of knowledge management. Knowledge management is not part of the success strategy in the learning and knowledge at Siemens. Employees own knowledge and incorporating them into institutional knowledge at Siemens relies on the cultural behavior regarding sharing knowledge (Morey, Maybury, Bhavani, &Thuraisingham2002, p. 23).It is the role of the company to inculcate the culture of knowledge sharing among employees. Employees at Siemens comprehend that sharing of knowledge is significant but do not share amongst them because they hold it an important asset that can make them remain valuable at the company (Sonbuchner 1991, p. 31). It is not possible to force employees to share knowledge neither is it advisable. However, employees induced or motivated to do so. The system at Siemens constitutes motivational methods to induce workers into adopting the behavior of sharing knowledge, the biggest cha llenge emanates from changing the current behavior of employees (MacKeracher 1996, p. 56). Changing behavior is directly proportional to the success of sharing knowledge and the effectiveness of knowledge management (Stewart & Rigg 2011, p. 41). The value of sharing knowledge in knowledge management requires understanding ways through which employees remain motivated to share knowledge in a way that helps the overall intellectual advantage of Siemens (Kiersey1984). The knowledge gaps at Siemens are barriers in attaining desired goals in the company (Jones& Carr 1987, p. 69). The climate and culture at Siemens play a significant role in developing the process of sharing knowledge among

Regulatory Agency Essay Example for Free

Regulatory Agency Essay The role and responsibility of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most importantly, is to uphold the laws dictated by the government concerning products that include drugs, medical products, food, and non-health related products and to protect and promote public health across the country. This essay focuses on several aspects of the FDA, from the role of the agency and its effect on health care in the United States, to the authority this agency carries in relation to health care. There will also be an explanation of how the FDA carries out these responsibilities on a day-to-day basis. The FDA has held a strong presence in the realm of public health since 1848 when it began as a consumer protection agency (FDA, 2013). The FDA, formed after the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act was put in place and inspired by the scientific work of Harvey Washington Wiley, who was the Chief Chemist at the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Wiley worked to eliminate the dangerous practices of marketing unregulated drugs and food products to consumers (FDA, 2013). Since that time, the FDA has become a powerful force, monitoring and working to protect public health in the United States. FDA Role The FDA is an agency that works within the Department of Health and Human Services. The Office of the Commissioner takes the lead role with four other branches that manage other functions (FDA, 2013). The Office of the Commissioner takes â€Å"leadership of the agency’s scientific activities, communication, legislative liaison, policy and planning, women’s and minority health initiatives, agency operations, and toxicological research† (FDA, 2013). The four groups that work under the Office of the Commissioner are the Office of Foods, the Office of Global Regulatory Operations and Policy, the Office of Medical Products and Tobacco, and the Office of Operations. The function of these five entities of the FDA is to protect and promote public health in the U. S. and to uphold the laws dictated by the government regarding public health. This is accomplished through close monitoring and testing of regulated products used by U. S. consumers. These products consist of drugs, food, cosmetics, radiation-emitting products, vaccines and other biologics, veterinary drugs and products, and tobacco products (FDA, 2013). The FDA is also constantly looking for ways to advance public health by assisting other organizations to make medications safe and more effective (FDA, 2013). Not only does the FDA monitor the food supply coming into the U. S. to ensure its safety but also plays a role in counterterrorism efforts by developing products and medications to respond to a public health threat (FDA, 2013). Issuing and enforcing warning labels for drugs and other products is another function in the role of the FDA. The labels serve to educate the public and medical professionals on the use and hazards of using a specific medication or product. However, these labels do not always have the desired effect. Impact on Health Care The efforts of the FDA throughout its history, has created a much safer consumer environment as it relates to food products, cosmetics, and other non-medical items. Foods are carefully scrutinized before they are allowed on the market to ensure these products are safe for the public to consume. Strict guidelines are in place for all types of products that are available to consumers. However, there is some controversy concerning warning labels on prescription drugs. There have been recent reports that communications by the FDA regarding drug risks are not immediately effective (Hitt, 2012). It is the duty of the FDA to monitor and enforce warnings for prescription drugs involving the safety risks to public health. According to Emma Hitt, some of the warnings that recommended increased monitoring of a patient while taking a prescription drug or increase laboratory monitoring generally caused a decrease in the use of the drug and very low increases in monitoring (Hitt, 2012). These types of oversights in clinical practice likely cause adverse effects to patients by not heeding the proper warnings set forth by the FDA. This is just a minute area in which the FDA impacts health care. Just as the FDA is responsible for monitoring drugs, products, and foods, their communications to health care providers and consumers must also be taken seriously. As Hitt states, â€Å"as the goals of risk communication are to minimize potential harms, understanding the impact of an FDA communication’s intended (and unintended) consequences on patient health outcomes should be a priority† (Hitt, 2012). Duties of the FDA The FDA carries an enormous responsibility daily to monitor, investigate, and enforce the safety of the public in general. As discussed earlier, this includes products and medications used by consumers daily. There are times when the regulations and guidelines set forth by the FDA on specific products are not followed and thus the FDA must follow up with inspections, enforce compliance, and conduct criminal investigations (FDA, 2013). The Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) is the lead office in this function of the FDA. It is the duty of the ORA to carry out investigations if a breach in regulation is suspected. Once a questionable observation is made by an investigator of the ORA, a form entitled â€Å"Form 483† is filled out by the investigator (FDA, 2013). On this form, the investigator cites what the law or regulation is and proceeds to list the questionable conditions and what law or regulation is violated. These 483 forms are maintained and revisited periodically. Some of the areas investigated are biologics, drugs, human tissue for transplantation, foods, and radiological health, to name a few. This is a major function of the FDA to ensure compliance to laws and regulations. Regulatory Authority The FDA has regulatory authority provided in the â€Å"Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act† (FDC) passed by Congress in 1983. The creation of this legislation was driven by an incident where more than 100 patients died due to improperly prepared sulfanilamide medications. It replaced the earlier Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 (FDA, 2013). The agency has authority to mandate preventative actions for food facilities to ensure food safety. They also have the power to conduct compliance inspections on facilities the scope of which include access to records and testing by accredited laboratories. The FDA also has several responses it can take to enforce compliance and ensure safety of consumers. It can enforce a mandatory recall of a product, and it can suspend the registration of a facility if it is determined to pose a threat of serious health consequences or the threat of death to humans or animals (FDA, 2013). Accreditation, Certification, and Authorization The FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research is the division of the agency charged with the evaluation and approval of any drug prior to its release on the market. There are three phases in this certification and approval process. The research phase is conducted during the manufacture of a drug, along with the testing, then sent to a review board for recommendation (Writing, 2013). Once the recommendation is given, the drug can move to the second phase, the pre-clinical trials. Here the drug is tested on small groups of humans while measuring interactions and its effectiveness. Once this phase is complete with no adverse issues, the third phase can take place. This is a Phase 2 clinical trial that allows researchers to see if the drug works on a specific illness on patients and allows scientists to determine any side effects that may occur (Writing, 2013). The clinical phases are monitored closely, while working directly with patients to ensure that the testing remain within the standards of medical ethics. Once all of the trials are complete and all recommendations have been given, all of the results are analyzed and only then can be submitted to the FDA for approval to be sold on the market (Writing, 2013). The accreditation and approval process for all products that must be in compliance with FDA guidelines is a rigorous process but necessary for the common good. Conclusion The FDA carries so many responsibilities to provide high quality medications, foods, cosmetics, and many other products. The laws and regulations are complex and detailed. So much, in fact, most people are not aware when a regulation or guideline is being violated. The resources available to research the FDA and their functions and laws are many and well worth the time to gain education on how this enormous entity works to protect and promote public health and safety.

APJ Abdul Kalam Essay Example for Free

APJ Abdul Kalam Essay Introduction A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses.[1][2][3] The oak savanna is a common type of savanna in the Northern Hemisphere. Some classification systems[which?] also recognize a grassland savanna from which trees are absent.[4] This article deals only with savanna under the common definition of a grassy woodland with a significant woody plant component. It is often believed that savannas feature widely spaced, scattered trees. However, in many savannas, tree densities are higher and trees are more regularly spaced than in forest. Savannas are also characterized by seasonal water availability, with the majority of rainfall confined to one season. Savannas are associated with several types of biomes. Savannas are frequently in a transitional zone between forest and desert or grassland. Savanna covers approximately 20% of the Earths land area. Etymology Cerrado savanna, Brazil. Although the term savanna is believed to have originally come from an Arawak word describing land which is without trees but with much grass either tall or short (Oviedo y Valdes, 1535), by the late 1800s it was used to mean land with both grass and trees. It now refers to land with grass and either scattered trees or an open canopy of trees. Spanish explorers familiar with the term sabana called the grasslands they found around the Orinoco River llanos, as well as calling Venezuelan and Colombian grasslands by that specific term. Cerrado was used on the higher savannas of the Brazilian Central Plateau. Distribution Many grassy landscapes and mixed communities of trees, shrubs, and grasses were described as savanna before the middle of the 19th century, when the concept of a tropical savanna climate became established. The Kà ¶ppen climate classification system was strongly influenced by effects of temperature and precipitation upon tree growth, and his oversimplified assumptions resulted in a tropical savanna classification concept which resulted in it being considered as a climatic climax formation. The common usage meaning to describe vegetation now conflicts with a simplified yet widespread climatic concept meaning. The divergence has sometimes caused areas such as extensive savannas north and south of the Congo and Amazon Rivers to be excluded from mapped savanna categories.[5] Barrens has been used almost interchangeably with savanna in different parts of North America. Sometimes midwestern savanna were described as grassland with trees. Different authors have defined the lower limits of savanna tree coverage as 5–10% and upper limits range as 25–80% of an area.[6] Two factors common to all savanna environments are rainfall variations from year to year, and dry season wildfires. In the Americas, e.g. in Belize, Central America, savanna vegetation is similar from Mexico to South America and to the Caribbean. Threats Changes in fire management Savannas are subject to regular wildfires and the ecosystem appears to be the result of human use of fire. For example, Native Americans created the Pre-Columbian savannas of North America by periodically burning where fire-resistant plants were the dominant species.[8] Pine barrens in scattered locations from New Jersey to coastal New England are remnants of these savannas. Aboriginal burning appears to have been responsible for the widespread occurrence of savanna in tropical Australia and New Guinea,[9] and savannas in India are a result of human fire use.[10] The maquis shrub savannas of the Mediterranean region were likewise created and maintained by anthropogenic fire.[11] Prescribed burn; Wisconsin bur oak savanna These fires are usually confined to the herbaceous layer and do little long term damage to mature trees. However, these fires either kill or suppress  tree seedlings, thus preventing the establishment of a continuous tree canopy which would prevent further grass growth. Prior to European settlement aboriginal land use practices, including fire, influenced vegetation[12] and may have maintained and modified savanna flora.[3][9] It has been suggested by many authors[12][13] that aboriginal burning created a structurally more open savanna landscape. Aboriginal burning certainly created a habitat mosaic that probably increased biodiversity and changed the structure of woodlands and geographic range of numerous woodland species.[9][12] It has been suggested by many authors[13][14] that with the removal or alteration of traditional burning regimes many savannas are being replaced by forest and shrub thickets with little herbaceous layer. The consumption of herbage by introduced grazers in savanna woodlands has led to a reduction in the amount of fuel available for burning and resulted in fewer and cooler fires.[15] The introduction of exotic pasture legumes has also led to a reduction in the need to burn to produce a flush of green growth because legumes retain high nutrient levels throughout the year, and because fires can have a negative impact on legume populations which causes a reluctance to burn.[16] Grazing and browsing animals Oak savanna, United States The closed forest types such as broadleaf forests and rainforests are usually not grazed owing to the closed structure precluding grass growth, and hence offering little opportunity for grazing.[17] In contrast the open structure of savannas allows the growth of a herbaceous layer and are commonly used for grazing domestic livestock.[18] As a result much of the worlds savannas have undergone change as a result of grazing by sheep, goats and cattle, ranging from changes in pasture composition to woody weed encroachment.[19] The removal of grass by grazing affects the woody plant component of woodland systems in two major ways. Grasses compete with woody plants for water in the topsoil and removal by grazing reduces this competitive effect, potentially boosting tree growth. In addition to this effect, the removal of fuel reduces both the intensity and the frequency of fires which  may control woody plant species.[21] Grazing animals can have a more direct effect on woody plants by the browsing of palatable woody species. There is evidence that unpalatable woody plants have increased under grazing in savannas.[22] Grazing also promotes the spread of weeds in savannas by the removal or reduction of the plants which would normally compete with potential weeds and hinder establishment.[12] In addition to this, cattle and horses are implicated in the spread of the seeds of weed species such as Prickly Acacia (Acacia nilotica) and Stylo (Stylosanthes spp.).[15] Alterations in savanna species composition brought about by grazing can alter ecosystem function, and are exacerbated by overgrazing and poor land management practices. Introduced grazing animals can also affect soil condition through physical compaction and break-up of the soil caused by the hooves of animals and through the erosion effects caused by the removal of protective plant cover. Such effects are most likely to occur on land subjected to repeated and heavy grazing.[23] The effects of overstocking are often worst on soils of low fertility and in low rainfall areas below 500 mm, as most soil nutrients in these areas tend to be concentrated in the surface so any movement of soils can lead to severe degradation. Alteration in soil structure and nutrient levels affects the establishment, growth and survival of plant species and in turn can lead to a change in woodland structure and composition. Tree clearing Large areas of Australian and South American savannas have been cleared of trees, and this clearing is continuing today. For example until recently 480,000 ha of savanna were cleared annually in Australia alone primarily to improve pasture production.[12] Substantial savanna areas have been cleared of woody vegetation and much of the area that remains today is vegetation that has been disturbed by either clearing or thinning at some point in the past. Clearing is carried out by the grazing industry in an attempt to increase the quality and quantity of feed available for stock and to improve the management of livestock. The removal of trees from savanna land removes the competition for water from the grasses present, and can lead to a two to fourfold increase in pasture production, as well as improving the quality of the feed available.[24] Since stock carrying capacity is strongly correlated  with herbage yield, there can be major financial benefits from the removal of trees,[25] such as assisting with grazing management: regions of dense tree and shrub cover harbors predators, leading to increased stock losses, for example,[26] while woody plant cover hinders mustering in both sheep and cattle areas.[27] A number of techniques have been employed to clear or kill woody plants in savannas. Early pastoralists used felling and girdling, the removal of a ring of bark and sapwood, as a means of clearing land.[28] In the 1950s arboricides suitable for stem injection were developed. War-surplus heavy machinery was made available, and these were used for either pushing timber, or for pulling using a chain and ball strung between two machines. These two new methods of timber control, along with the introduction and widespread adoption of several new pasture grasses and legumes promoted a resurgence in tree clearing. The 1980s also saw the release of soil-applied arboricides, notably tebuthiuron, that could be utilized without cutting and injecting each individual tree. In many ways artificial clearing, particularly pulling, mimics the effects of fire and, in savannas adapted to regeneration after fire as most Queensland savannas are, there is a similar response to that after fire.[29] Tree clearing in many savanna communities, although causing a dramatic reduction in basal area and canopy cover, often leaves a high percentage of woody plants alive either as seedlings too small to be affected or as plants capable of re-sprouting from lignotubers and broken stumps. A population of woody plants equal to half or more of the original number often remains following pulling of eucalypt communities, even if all the trees over 5 metres are uprooted completely. Exotic plant species Acacia savanna, Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Kenya. A number of exotic plants species have been introduced to the savannas around the world. Amongst the woody plant species are serious environmental weeds such as Prickly Acacia (Acacia nilotica), Rubbervine (Cryptostegia grandiflora), Mesquite (Prosopis spp.), Lantana (Lantana camara and L. montevidensis) and Prickly Pear (Opuntia spp.) A range of herbaceous species have also been introduced to these woodlands, either deliberately or accidentally including Rhodes grass and other Chloris species, Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris), Giant rats tail grass (Sporobolus pyramidalis)  parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) and stylos (Stylosanthes spp.) and other legumes. These introductions have the potential to significantly alter the structure and composition of savannas worldwide, and have already done so in many areas through a number of processes including altering the fire regime, increasing grazing pressure, competing with native vegetation and occupying previously vacant ecological n iches.[29][30] Other plant species include: white sage, spotted cactus, cotton seed, rosemary. Climate change There exists the possibility that human induced climate change in the form of the greenhouse effect may result in an alteration of the structure and function of savannas. Some authors[31] have suggested that savannas and grasslands may become even more susceptible to woody plant encroachment as a result of greenhouse induced climate change. However, a recent case described a savanna increasing its range at the expense of forest in response to climate variation, and potential exists for similar rapid, dramatic shifts in vegetation distribution as a result of global climate change, particularly at ecotones such as savannas so often represent.[32] Savanna ecoregions Mediterranean savanna in Alentejo region, Portugal. Savanna ecoregions are of several different types: Tropical and subtropical savannas are classified with tropical and subtropical grasslands and shrublands as the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome. The savannas of Africa, including the Serengeti, famous for its wildlife, are typical of this type. The Brazilian savanna (Cerrado) is also included in this category, known for its exotic and varied flora. Temperate savannas are mid-latitude savannas with wetter summers and drier winters. They are classified with temperate savannas and shrublands as the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, that for example cover much of the Great Plains of the United States. (See areas such as the Central forest-grasslands transition). Mediterranean savannas are mid-latitude savannas in Mediterranean climate regions, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, part of the  Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. The oak tree savannas of California, part of the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, fall into this category. Flooded savannas are savannas that are flooded seasonally or year-round. They are classified with flooded savannas as the flooded grasslands and savannas biome, which occurs mostly in the tropics and subtropics. Montane savannas are high-altitude savannas, located in a few spots around the worlds high mountain regions, part of the montane grasslands and shrublands biome. The lowland savannas of the Angolan Scarp savanna and woodlands ecoregion are an example.